We will be open as normal on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd December, and for last minute shoppers we will be open until 8pm on Thursday the 23rd.
We will then be on our Christmas holidays until Tuesday the 4th of January.
Thankyou for your support and custom this year, and we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Many thanks to those of you who made it to our opening party last week. Particular thanks go to Rochelle Canteen and Truman’s Beer. It is always good to work with local suppliers and businesses, and we were particularly pleased to have two firkins of beer from Truman’s, who have brought their famous name ( and their famous beer ) back to the pubs of East London.
Our thanks also go to our generous friends and suppliers who provided us with the goodies for our gift bags:
Aesop, The Boundary, Ally Capelino, Caravan, Historic Lighting Company, Kornflake, Old Town Clothing, Sunspel and Spitalfields Life
Labour and Wait’s new premises was once the old Dolphin, a Truman, Hanbury and Buxton Co. public house. The distinctive tiled exterior has long been a feature of Redchurch Street and we are delighted to bring this building back to public life.
The above photo, of the Dolphin in the 1930s, is taken from the Dead Pubs website, and when we found the image we were delighted to see the writing on the curved corner window. One of our original intentions for this new store was to have handpainted signage and lettering on the windows, and this was completed for us in some style by Peter Hardwicke.
Peter’s work is in evidence all over London, and in particular the East End, and he completed the finishing touches on our new store, helping to link the new Labour and Wait with the old Dolphin.
For more information on Peter and his signwriting, visit the ever-fascinating Spitalfields Life blog, from where this picture is taken. ( Photo by Jeremy Freedman )
Peter Hardwicke on Spitalfields Life
So after ten successful years on Cheshire Street, Labour and Wait are proud to present our new home! Converted from an old Truman Brewery pub, 85 Redchurch Street is a short walk from our old store but represents an exciting new era for us. Open 6 days a week, the new store is bigger and brighter and features many new products alongside all the old favourites.
And alongside the new shop we’ll also be easing ourselves into the 21st Century with this blog. We’ll be keeping you updated with news of products, events and various interesting bits and pieces. Welcome to Labour and Wait, we hope to see you in the store soon!